CHICAGO — Julius Randle, who could’ve turned into a goat despite a near triple-double, took the basketball as the buzzer sounded and slammed it to the hardwood.
Relief, victory and no fine this time.
In a classic reminiscent of the Bulls-Knicks wars of the 1990s, the Knicks nearly choked it all away in the final three minutes at a deafening United Center. But they hung on for a 104-103 win Thursday night over the previously unbeaten Bulls.
A potential game-winning jumper in the last seconds by DeMar DeRozan over double-teaming RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson became an airball and made the Knicks winners.
The Knicks nearly lost a 13-point lead in the final 2:59, giving the Bulls a chance to win it on that last possession. Randle was fouled but missed both free throws, and the Bulls had the ball with 4.8 seconds left. The Knicks, though, made one big defensive stop to escape, and Randle took the ball and pounded it.
“Relief, frustration, all of that,’’ Randle said, “I didn’t throw it in the stands this time.’’
Randle was penalized $15,000 by the NBA for throwing the ball in the crowd to celebrate the season opener. Now the merriment carries on as the Knicks are 4-1 — the best start since the magical 2012-13 season and tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference — because they forced DeRozan into a last-second airball.
“DeRozan is a closer and puts a lot of pressure on you,’’ a victorious Tom Thibodeau said. “He is so good at getting to his spot, getting into the air and drawing fouls. That’s what I loved. … We gave the appropriate help. RJ stayed disciplined. He challenged very well. DeRozan is a heck of a player. He’s made shots with guys hanging over him his whole career. We found a way to win at the end.’’
Barrett, who scored 20 points as a relentless force on the fast break, enjoyed making the big defensive play on DeRozan.
“I watched him so much growing up in Toronto — I’ve seen that shot a lot,’’ Barrett said.
“That’s his shot, he’s making that shot for years,’’ Kemba Walker said. “Very happy.’’
The Bulls made the more splashier moves in the offseason, but they chose to pay point guard Lonzo Ball the moment free agency began and never considered Walker.
At least for the here and now, that looks like a big Chitown mistake.
In his second straight potent outing, Walker lit up from the 3-point line, draining 5 of 6 3s. Walker finished with a season-high 21 points as the Knicks ruined “Joakim Noah Night’’ by grinding their way to the win over the previously unbeaten Bulls.
Ball, whom the Knicks decided to pass on without msking an offer to him in free agency, scored just six points on 2-for-8 shooting — 1 of 6 from 3-point range — and had four assists. But he did play good defense late coming up with two steals while matched on Randle.
“These guys are one of the best teams in the league,’’ Walker said. “We had a big lead, the crowd got into it. We hung tough. We took our foot off the gas a little bit. But we withstood it, got one stop and got it.”
The Knicks and Bulls now have the same 4-1 record, but Chicago has had an easy schedule in compiling their unbeaten mark. The Knicks also have triumphs over the Celtics, Magic and 76ers.
They didn’t need a big scoring night from Randle, but almost got a triple-double despite his wayward shot and free-throw yips at the end. Randle posted 13 points, nine assists and 16 rebounds, along with four turnovers.
“A win is a win,’’ Randle said. “That’s all that matters. Just happy to get a win.”
This was a litmus test the Knicks barely passed, a big road win against a top opponent — something they never seemed to achieve when Noah was on their side.
The atmosphere was crazed. Noah’s big night featured several of his former teammates being introduced and a constant stream of his highlights on the scoreboard.
As the teams took the court after a timeout with 9:59 left in the second quarter, the Bulls’ public-address announcer introduced Noah, sitting in a suite, wearing a multicolored fishing cap.
There was a two-minute delay as the fans serenaded him with a standing ovation. It was a crazed atmosphere the Knicks quelled.
Off a 14-0 run, the Knicks jumped to a 16-6 lead, forcing Bulls coach Billy Donovan into a timeout.
“You knew there would be emotion in this game,’’ Thibodeau said. “So the emotion of the building, the fact that they’re off to a great start, playing great basketball, we knew we were going to have to be at our best and we’re still striving to be a 48-minute team. We’re not there yet. But I thought the way we started 6-for-6, I thought it spoke to the readiness of the team. To have the mental toughness, the physical toughness, the emotional toughness to get through, that’s what I was proud of.’’
